Amphiscian

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For the standard character code in computing, see ASCII.

Amphiscians, or Amphiscii, is a name given to inhabitants of the torrid zone, whose shadows in one part of the year are cast to the north, and in the other to the south, according as the sun is south or north of their zenith.

The word comes from the Greek αμφι ("about"), and σχια ("shadow").

The Amphiscians were also called Ascii. This term related specifically to those inhabitants of the globe, which, at certain times of the year, have no shadow. The word is formed of the privative particle α, and σχια, (umbra, "shadow").

[edit] References

• This article incorporates content from the 1728 Cyclopaedia, a publication in the public domain.
• Noah Webster's 1828 Dictionary.